Neighbors by Ring, also known as simply Neighbors, is a
hyperlocal
Hyperlocal is information oriented around a well-defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of the population in that community. The term can be used as a noun in isolation or as a modifier of some other term (e.g. new ...
social networking
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
app owned by
Ring LLC, a subsidiary of
Amazon.com Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
The app allows users to anonymously discuss crime and
public safety issues within their local community. It integrates with Ring's
smart doorbell
A smart doorbell is an internet-connected doorbell that notifies the smartphone or other electronic device of the home owner when a visitor arrives at the door. It activates when the visitor presses the button of the doorbell, or alternatively, wh ...
and
surveillance camera products, allowing users to share photos and video clips from the devices' cameras to accompany their posts. The app is also used as part of partnerships between Ring and local law enforcement agencies, who can make verified public service posts on the service, and use an online portal to collect footage posted on Neighbors to assist in investigations.
Usage
The app displays posts and notifications that fall within a five-mile (8 km) radius of the user's home address. Users can report on news and events within their neighborhood, as well as share photos and video. Users can comment on these reports in order to provide additional information. Unlike competing services such as
Nextdoor, the service focuses exclusively on public safety, and posts are moderated to remove off-topic content.
Verified law enforcement agencies can post public bulletins on Neighbors to request assistance for investigations, such as locating a missing person or a suspect in a crime. Members of police departments can request access to the "Neighbors Portal" to collect publicly-posted multimedia from Neighbors to assist in investigations: a case number is required, but no evidence is needed. Up to 12 hours of footage from within the past 45 days can be collected, within a maximum area of 0.5
square miles
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length ad ...
. Users are automatically notified and asked for permission for footage to be released.
Reception
Neighbors has received criticism over Ring's partnerships with law enforcement agencies. The
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...
stated that apps such as Neighbors "facilitate reporting of so-called 'suspicious' behavior that really amounts to
racial profiling."
Fight for the Future has considered Ring and Neighbors to be a private surveillance network, backed by partnerships with law enforcement that "undermine our democratic process and basic
civil liberties
Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may ...
".
Further reading
*
*
See also
*
Nextdoor
References
External links
{{Amazon
IOS software
Android (operating system) software
2018 mergers and acquisitions
Crime mapping
American social networking websites